New Hatchback - £3.5-4.5k

Shikkaka

Shikkaka

Shikkaka

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Joined
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Nottingham
Afternoon all,

My brother (20) is after a new car and I'd like some ideas to put forward to him.

His budget is between £3.5 and £4k and he'd like a sporty hatchback. So far he has been looking down the following lines and I've commented on his choice.

Tyre R - Apprentice wages + 30 mile commute + £3.5k = NO.
Clio Sport - Achievable but Apprentice Wages + 30 mile commute = NO.
Fiesta ST - Achievable but I HAVE ONE GET YOUR OWN CAR! + 30 mile commute.
Corsa SRI - Chavtastic + Crap Handling = NO.
Suzuki Swift Sport - Most sensible suggestion maybe? I know little about them.
Fiesta Zetec-S - Not enough BHP for him apparently.

I've basically told him due to his commute to stick to a 1.6 which rules out all of the above beside the Swift.

Any other suggestions?
 
Seat Leon Cupra 1.8T.

Driven sensibly (ie off boost) they will return pretty decent MPG on an extra-urban commute.
 
Good suggestion but he won't be driving off boost.

I'm trying to come up with something he will enjoy but sensible. I'm just thinking back to my days when I wanted a new car aged 20 and just wanted BHP BHP BHP, he is exactly the same. I'm trying to do the older, wiser brother thing.

Perhaps should have mentioned this in my opening post :p
 
Yaris T-Sport? I had one at 19 and even with declared modifications the insurance barely cost me £700, you can fit 195/50/15 tyres on the standard rims which seems to be the cheapest tyre size in existent, and it will just about touch 40MPG on a good run (I averaged around 37 on mainly short trips).

I accept there not the most fun thing handling wise, but they crack 60 in a little over 8s and carry on to 120 so arent the slowest thing in the book. The budget would get a really good one with plenty of money left over to fit a set of Tein lowering springs. I had them on mine and they transformed it from a fairly squishy ride to a generally fun little car.

Something like these.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201234482809212/
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201240487627873
 
a cheap mini?

Might be worth looking at a VW that has been slammed with a set of BBS alloys and one of those flowery Hawaiian necklaces hanging from the rear view mirror.
 
Having ruled out a CTR, how about the CTS ( this is the EV1 not the slower EP2 civic sport)?

Again 0-60 in around 8s. 160bhp, half leather, cruise, traction control, 35mpg easily attained with 40 for sensible driving, climate, mahoosive interior for ferrying around drunken friends. 5 door may put a downer on the looks.

Can't link to autotrader at work but would get a mint example for cash.

If he cant stick a 7th gen, an 8th gen sub par example should be possible.
 
Steameh said:
Suzuki Swift Sport - Most sensible suggestion maybe? I know little about them.
Fiesta Zetec-S - Not enough BHP for him apparently.
Click to expand...

But the BHP difference between these two are minimal? So surely that's not a reason to discount the Zetec-S. However I'd probably still want the Swift over the Fiesta, just for the twin exhaust :)
 
rossk26 said:
But the BHP difference between these two are minimal? So surely that's not a reason to discount the Zetec-S. However I'd probably still want the Swift over the Fiesta, just for the twin exhaust :)
Click to expand...

The Swift is 125bhp I think where as the ZS is 100.
 
s0ck said:
Apprentice wages...? Ibiza TDI + remap.
Click to expand...

this.
An ibiza tdi sport comes with 130bhp standard, remaps to 160 with no problem and while the old 1.9 tdi engine is fairly agricultural it's also pretty reliable and does very good mpg.

It won't handle as well as a clio 172 and won't be as quick to 60, but in terms of in gear acceleration on everyday driving it will surprise a fair amount of wannabe warm hatches.

Tyres and servicing are cheap, and the build quality and interior is much better screwed together than a 172 clio.
 
The swift, reliable, jap, its not got a name for itself as a fun to drive car for nothing, I would have one if I wouldn't look like was having mid life crisis when hooning it around
 
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